The Better Basics Podcast

Hot Topic: Lifting weights just as effective as cardio for lowering body fat percentage Worth It? Mouth taping Main Course: Everyone wants to live longer. So, why does it all feel so complicated? Mostly, because of money. The Longevity economy is big business. There's 50 different supplements and 20 different tools and technologies guaranteed to help us live longer. But will they really? Matt...

Hot Topic: Spicy food actually does help you lose weight? Worth It? High protein, sugar free root beer floats Main Course: You should only eat meat! But meat gives you cancer! You should eat every two hours! But you should fast for 16 hours! Carbs are making you fat! But carbs are healthy and important! The list goes on and on and on. All these contradictory trends are making our health significan...

Hot Topic: Body fat beats BMI in predicting death Worth It? Creatine Gummies Revisited Main Course: We all know the person who sets out to lose 20 pounds, does a few weeks of intense workouts, cuts out sugar all together - and by week three is skipping workouts, hitting the candy bowl daily, and acting like the goal they set never existed. We've been that person. The top impediment to achieving ou...

Hot Topic: Tick Checks Worth It [Viral Exercise Edition]? Japenese Walking Technique What Say You About [Edition Seven]: The seventh episode of the series! Matt and Dylan have a fun discussion off the cuff on a variety of health and fitness topics, including: protein bars, GLP-1s for losing 20 pounds, the best exercise for chest building a bigger chest, fasted cardio, heels elevated squatting, and...

Hot Topic: Sway Testing Worth It? James Clear Newsletter Main Course: It's been over a decade of consistent training for both of us, and while the internet has gotten louder, the basics haven't changed. The algorithms show us what we want to see. But the things that matter are what you learn once you start showing up consistently. We discuss the top things we've learned through doing t...

Hot Topic: Coffee is the secret to longevity? Worth It? Thermogenic Gummies Main Course: Everyone in fitness has their "one magical solution" for better health and fitness. We hate it, because health and fitness are incredibly nuanced and at the end of the day, it's really about consistency in lots of little things. That said, we figured it's time to plant our flag. We're discussing the "best" thi...

Hot Topic: David Bars & EPG Worth It? Continuous Glucose Monitors Main Course: Are you tired of influencers on social media posting videos from the grocery store telling you all of the things to be afraid of? WE ARE TOO. Grocery shopping can be tough, especially when you have health and fitness goals. Matt and Dylan discuss the 10 things that they buy every time they go to the grocery store to...

Hot Topic: Strength Training Improves Mood & Gut Health Worth It? Carbon/MyFitnessPal (Macro Trackers) Main Course: In health and fitness, you can track and measure just about anything. From your calories, to your weight, to your workout, to your sleep. There's a new gadget and new way to turn tracking into a full-time job. Ain't nobody got time for that. Matt and Dylan discuss what&#3...

Hot Topic: Is kiwi a magic solution for better sleep? Worth It? Saguaro Shoes (Barefoot Shoes for Kids) Main Course: With summer right around the corner, the days are longer and warmer. More daylight, sunshine, and hot temps make for an awesome opportunity to take your exercise outdoors. Outside exercise has tons of co-benefits that you can't find in the gym. But with all that opportunity come...

Hot Topic: More Sex = Longer Life? #Episode69 Worth It? Fitbit Main Course: Matt and Dylan defend whether trendy topics and strategies in health, fitness, and nutrition are overrated or underrated, including: unilateral exercises for hypertrophy, training to failure, electrolytes, wearable "recovery" scores, trap-bar deadlifts, direct ab work for aesthetics, and yoga. Q&A: If you cou...

Hot Topic: Steroids, Placebos, and the Power of the Mind Worth It? [Viral Exercise Edition]: 100 KB Swing Challenge Main Course: The health and fitness space has gone big time bro. You know the vibe, if you’re not waking up at 4am, meditating in a cold plunge, and doing 100 push-ups before breakfast, are you even trying to be healthy? While not all of this is bad, it's certainly not for everyo...

Hot Topic: Fart Walks Worth It? [Viral Exercise Edition]: Hip Thrusts Main Course: Last week's episode explored a handful of things that Matt and Dylan changed their mind about in the health and fitness world. It's incredibly important to remain curious and to be willing to change your mind when new information becomes available. That said, there are a few things that feel incredibly certain. Matt...

Hot Topic: The Twinkie Diet Worth It [Viral Exercise Edition]: Kettlebell Complexes Main Course: It's so easy to be wrong about so much in the world of health and fitness. Especially, when you find a tribe and aren't willing to challenge the things they believe. Unfortunately, incorrect certainty is the state of play in the health and fitness industry. It's often quite compelling and d...

Hot Topic: Bigger biceps, longer life? Worth It? Yogurt Drinks What Say You About [Edition Six]: the sixth episode of the series! Matt and Dylan have a fun discussion off the cuff on a variety of health and fitness topics, including: audio books, using AI to create workout programs, morning routines, forest bathing, walking pads, and reverse running. Q&A: What do you guys think about using the...

Hot Topic: The new season of Black Mirror and the mental cost of overstimulating media Worth It? (Viral Exercise Edition): The 3-2-1 Method Main Course: Training for athletic performance is important for all athletes (golfers included) and ALL PEOPLE. Whether you want to run faster, hit the golf ball straighter and farther, or pick up your kids, rake your leaves, or vacuum the house without gettin...

Hot Topic: Health and fitness misinformation from top podcaster Worth It? Goodles, Banza Mac & Cheese Main Course: Having a home gym, no matter how basic or advanced, is a cheat code for your health and fitness. Consistency and sustainability and the recipe for getting and staying fit. A top form of resistance is the time is takes to go to and from the gym. A home gym gets rid of that resistan...

Hot Topic: Intermittent fasting is no healthier than caloric restriction Worth It? Weighted Vests Main Course: Life isn't always easy, but for most people it's way to comfortable. We're wired to seek comfort, but in our modern world that's becoming a huge problem. Everything is optimized for ease: food delivery, constant entertainment in your pocket, climate-controlled everything....

Hot Topic: Heavy metals in Girl Scout cookies? Worth It? Theragun There are so many myths and misunderstandings in the world of health and fitness. It's the hardest part about getting things right. Distractions, confusion, and conflicting information make it really hard to know what's right and wrong. Matt and Dylan kickoff the "Debunked" series where they address the things that they're constantl...

Hot Topic: The fat burning zone Worth It? Fat burners Main Course: There are SO MANY fitness trends. Lots of them are simply catchy, attract eyeballs, and easy to market. Others are easy to implement, but offer little benefit. Some are way more expensive than the benefits they yield. Matt and Dylan discuss six fitness trends that are actually worth pursuing. Where the bang meets the buck. Where it...

Hot Topic: Swearing improves gym performance Worth It? Olipop, Poppi "What does it mean to be healthy?". What a doozy of a question to ask ourselves. The answer can (and really should) be different for everyone. This is a once per year episode where Matt and Dylan have a go at answering it with regard to their focuses and where they're at in their lives. They don't intend for any...

Hot Topic: New study on the benefits of cold plunge Worth It? Lifting Belts At The Better Basics Podcast, we like to focus on the holistic benefits of fitness and nutrition, but at the end of the day - a lot of us ultimately want to look better. Summer is a few short months away. Maybe we want to lean out or put on some muscle for that first day at the pool. If you have aesthetic based goals, this...

Hot Topic: Overtraining is bad for your body and your brain Worth It? Lifting straps Stress is something that we all deal with all of the time. The way that it impacts us is complicated, the way that we deal with it even more so. And it's having major impacts on our overall health. Some stressors are big, but most of them are tiny nuisances that add up and take us down overtime. Matt and Dylan dis...

Hot Topic: The link between sugar consumption and health Worth It? (Viral Exercise Edition): PilerDriver Handstand Pushups LOL Have you fallen into a lull with your health and fitness? Finding yourself on the couch and never in the gym? This is the case for SO many people. And when most people decide to get back to it, they pursue it the wrong way. Matt and Dylan discuss what typically goes wrong...

Hot Topic: Do cheat reps build muscle? Worth It?: Probiotics What Say You About [Edition Five]: the fifth episode of the series! Matt and Dylan have a fun discussion off the cuff on a variety of health and fitness topics, including: Eating after 9 PM, Working out on vacation, Nuts as a health food, Olympic weightlifting, Corporations funding public health and nutrition research, and Swimming for c...

Hot Topic: Fitness level matters more than weight for longevity Worth It (Viral Exercise Edition): Landmine Sissy Squat Matt and Dylan love a good competition. They're back to draft a winning health and fitness playbook, with players from the following categories: best protein source, go-to workout for general health, recovery strategy, game day healthy snack, underrated fitness hack, and a wi...